americans today and tomorrow cling to yesterday

i listen to quite a bit of van morrison- love the man. but i thought i would take a break the other day and listen to the eagles- long road out of eden- and when i got to the second disc- whoa! now, when you think political music- springsteen comes to mind amongst others, but i will hazard a guess that the eagles don't top the list. you should check them out. it's a great set. henley, frey and the gang don't mince words and they skillfully weave them to get their point across- not just about politics but about culture.

it's funny because i used to think i was outside looking in on the culture- and now, i know i am. american culture sucks- arrogant, self-centered, pushy, rude- or at least it's how it has been. apparently, the right wing screwed themselves because from the sounds of things- folks are turning more liberal. sharing and not buying new? good lord! the rapture must be coming!

i admit, i have not been keeping up with what passes for the news these days- i mean there is only so much outright lying and fakery i can stand. and what i do scan the headlines and see, makes me sad. you aren't going to find many places where information is sewn together to formulate the big picture- it's like a mystery to solve, all of the pieces are there but you have to figure it out yourself. gore vidal wrote a fantastic article a while ago and i have not read it's entirety because it was too much. but putting it together with this article i read through today- really makes me sad. sad because americans are not willing to see what this country is today- americans cling to the notion of what we used to be.

i would love to be able to do that, but i can't. i know where we came from and what we are today- and i have a pretty fair idea of where we are headed. it's not a pretty picture. but i don't want to end on a down note- i love clara. she is a treasure and a gem- and if you check out her youtube channel, you won't be disappointed. she has seen much and lived through much- but her spirit lives on.

my fellow americans

anyone else notice the uptick in murders, assaults and break ins lately? economic downturns do tend to move populations in that direction- especially given the housing situation. there was an article from colorado that highlighted troops who have come home from iraq and afghanistan and their propensity towards violent crimes. it's an interesting and fairly scary read.

which got me musing about how truly violent a nation america is- and has been from the start. for the most part, the nation hasn't warred on itself- officially- but there is the daily violence of citizen against citizen that goes on. the ugly, hate filled rhetoric we witness on the internet and the tv news shows bombard us with overt and subtle messages that it's an 'us against them' world.

which doesn't bode well for this country. i hope that there won't be an all out civil war again in this country in my lifetime. i do see it coming though. it isn't enough to agree to disagree anymore- opposing sides line up like gladiators and tear each other down- for now it has been fairly verbal. with the advent of the 'birthers' and the 'tea bag parties' though, what was underground has bubbled to the surface. the left is woefully unprepared and make no mistake- it will be a war of ideology- and perhaps geographic area. i have no words of wisdom other than- forewarned is forearmed. keep eyes open and just know what is coming. americans are violent folks.
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a small amount of humanity is enough

"there was a time when i was guardedly optimistic about change in america and when i tentatively wore hope on my sleeve. the death knell has sounded- i am no longer optimistic or hopeful. not just because of what i hear or see in the media- surges in afghanistan, wall street and corporates still ripping us off unchecked, federal mandates flying off the pens of the dems just itching to put them into laws- but also because i actually was forced to venture out into humanity for a week and i learned much. i hated it but i learned much.

i learned that there are far more non thinking people out there than ones who think. these folks can be decent human beings but prefer to 'just live' and continue to do so without giving the future a thought. some of them happen to be friends and family of mine and hubby's. i also learned that when push comes to shove, people won't do the right thing. myself included. and i have been thinking a bit about human nature as a big picture because it's easy to get caught up in the now believing this time to be so very different than any other. it is in one regard- global warming.

when everything boils down to its basest nature- people haven't changed in milennia. we keep repeating history over and over and simply tweaking it a bit to make it the present. we keep clinging to our selfish, greedy, lazy ways and are content to do so even if it means killing people around the globe for profit. we have gone so far as to create an economy around doing so. i am not certain of the future- no one really is- but i don't see a rosy one. perhaps it's the pessimist in me- or perhaps simply the realist. the only thing i do know- i cannot fight for a country that no longer exists and i won't fight for clueless 'morans' who won't think for themselves.
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what i miss most

i have been out of college for oh- awhile :) and high school even longer. i think what i miss most about having those experiences is the lack of discussion and sharing of ideas. i thought for sure i would find it online- as the internets are full of tubes and wires that lead to all sorts of folks and places. but i didn't so much. i have met so many great folks and blog buddies from coming online- but the discussions aren't there. the closest i have gotten are trolls and right wing folks only interested in smashing me down. regrettable for sure because there are many folks out there who are interested in hearing and sharing.

it isn't about converting to our 'side' necessarily. there have always been two major parties, for example. it's about talking to each other and compromising. oops- i said the 'c' word. the sort of compromise i am talking about doesn't happen in congress or politics usually. their compromising really does compromise this country. no, the compromise i speak of is realizing that right and left both have many traits in common- we really aren't as different as certain folks are trying to make us believe.

liberals have traditions and celebrations; believe in the military and even serve; believe that all men and women should be treated fairly and equally, etc. it isn't true that liberals believe that government should have its fingers into every aspect of life and it is true that government has grown exponentially under the last 3 republican presidents.

the biggest truth is that both sides of the common people- right and left- are being fucked by the politicians of both parties in government-- for THEIR personal gain not ours. my thought is- most of the crap that they have set up for us to fight about-- abortion, gay marriage, gun rights, etc.- distractions. they want to keep us screaming at each other so we don't notice the fact that these folks are STILL profiting from 2 wars and thousands of military bases around the world. that they are still profiting from the jacked up banking system and insurance system. that they are still sucking up our natural resources while doing pretty much nothing to avert global climate catastrophe.

here's the thing... the republican party moderates- who are fairly sane folks- are being shut out of their party by the batshit crazy folks from the religious right and former neocon movement. the democratic party has been hijacked by greedy, corporate shills like nancy pelosi and harry reid and the 'blue dog' democrats who are in reality- transplants from the repubs. there is a 'silent majority' out here who are by and large under represented in government at all levels. i say that we pull together and realize that there is strength in numbers and take back the country.

any takers?